Why flowers send its scent first? HR insight for boss-subordinate balance

How important is updating the status of the ongoing work/project to the boss? Most employees fail to update the status of the ongoing activities to their bosses promptly and if at all they do so, only after completion of the project. When the project is on, why to inform the boss, as the result is only considered in corporate and not the effort will be logic most people would follow. The above logic may be philosophically right, but from the corporate management angle, it will do nothing except earning the criticism and disgrace of the boss.

It is very important that the employees should update the activities to their bosses despite the fact that whether the work is completed or just began. Every subordinate is responsible to post the status of the work or assignments to the bosses regularly. If they do so, much of the nagging they can avoid from their bosses.

One should not wait for the project to get completed the ongoing effort also must be informed to the bosses regularly.

Nature has a wonderful example to educate the man in corporate in this regard. Look at the flowering plant and try to learn whether the fragrance comes first or the readiness of the flower for pollination happens first?

The fragrance only comes first. The fragrance sends a message to all the pollinators about the readiness of the flower to offer nectar and pollen grains. After sending the fragrance to the air only, the flower really gets ready for pollination.

No flower ever ready first and then sends out its fragrance. If they do so, it can go against the interest of the plant as by the time the pollinators knew about the flower and come towards the flower, the flower may overage and loose its pollinating power.

If the subordinate update the status of the projects regularly, the bosses will have the scope of putting his thoughts or ideas into the project and may feel that he has also played a significant role in the project. Only when the subordinates make the bosses feel that only with their input and suggestion, they could complete the project. Only then the bosses would promote the project success to top management.

To make the bosses as a stake holder in ones work, one has to update the status regularly to them and must take their inputs however silly such inputs may be.

Flowering plants in nature wonderfully follow the management approach of update the status of their readiness first and only then they really get ready with nectar and pollen grains.

If the pollinators have to help the flower means, it has to inform the pollinators well in advance about their readiness. Sufficient time has to be given to the pollinators only then their help can be expected. Similarly, if the bosses have to really approve and accept the project findings means, they should be given sufficient time to evaluate and validate the project findings. The best method is to update the status of the activity regularly to the bosses and thereby win their attention and recognition.

Follow the management of a flowering plant in sending its fragrance first to the air and get ready with nectar. When flower inform and ready to offer nectar, the pollinators will do their job of pollination for the plant.

Dr S Ranganathan, ClinRise Derma Pvt., Ltd., Chennai